Team

Founded in 1505 the University of Seville (USE) is the third largest university in Spain with over 70000 students and more than 4000 academic staff. USE offers 111 master programs and 32 doctoral programs and it is committed to international research with over 100 European ongoing projects. Research is carried out in 134 academic departments, in 8 joint research centres USE - Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and 10 university research institutes. USE embraces academia, industry, engineering and science and provides an intellectual reference in the South of Europe, with a powerful educational and technological infrastructure.

USE participates in CIRCULAR FUELS through Surface Science & Catalysis laboratory SURFCAT being Prof. Tomas R. Reina the main contact for the project. SURFCAT possess over 40 years of experience in catalysis for energy and environmental applications and their labs at the Materials Science Institute are fully equipped with automatised catalytic rigs, microchannel reactor manufacturing devices, operando spectroscopy and state of the art characterisation infrastructure. All these facilities are available to deliver CIRCULAR FUELS activities. USE´s lead the project activities related to training and knowledge exchange on structured catalysts and microchannel reactors manufacturing.

The University of Hohenheim (UHOH), founded in 1818, is a leading German agricultural research university with an international reputation for interdisciplinary, innovation-driven work. It combines agricultural, natural, economic, and social sciences to address major challenges in food systems, the environment, and society. Its research priorities include the bioeconomy, food and nutrition security, climate and environmental change, digital transformation, and sustainable agriculture aligned with the One Health concept. Thematic platforms support cross-disciplinary collaboration. Advanced infrastructure and entrepreneurship programs strengthen knowledge transfer, enabling impactful research and real-world innovation worldwide.

UHOH participates in CIRCULAR FUELS through the Department Conversion Technologies of Biobased Resources, represented by its chairholder Prof. Dr. Andrea Kruse and Dr. Pablo Jose Arauzo Gimeno as main contacts for the project. Research activities focus on the development of innovative separation technology, processes for the production of platform chemicals, and novel approaches for the production and characterization of carbon materials (...more on our YouTube Channel).

UHOH leads WP4 to advance hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) and hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) for managing wet biowaste in CIRCULAR FUELS. The work optimizes operating conditions to increase carbon efficiency and recover valuable products, prioritizing nutrient recovery and extraction of protein and phenolic fractions. With the University of Sheffield, UHOH will develop and validate hydrogen production using HTC/HTL liquid by-products as feed. In partnership with GreenE, UHOH will implement a parallel HTC/HTL pathway to widen accepted feedstocks and run joint testing and characterization campaigns. POLIMI contributes modelling and process optimization. Experiments will benchmark yields, product quality, emissions, and energy balances at scale.

Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) is a member of the Russell Group of 24 world-leading UK research-intensive Universities and ranked 37th in the sector in REF 2021 (Times Higher Education), with 88% of research activity at QUB judged to be world-leading or internationally excellent. QUB combines excellence in research and education with a student-centred ethos. Over 96% of QUB graduates are in employment or further study six months after graduation. QUB ranked 85th globally in the Times Higher Education 2022 Impact Rankings, which assesses the impact of the University relative to the SDGs. QUB are UK leaders in facilitating the transfer of research outcomes from the laboratory into markets - ranking 1st in the UK for entrepreneurial impact (Octopus Ventures, 2020) and 6th in the UK in IP revenues. QUBIS, the commercialisation arm of QUB, has created more than 100 technology spin out companies, generating £323m in revenue and 3,100 jobs.

QUB holds an Athena SWAN institutional Silver award, as does the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, where the ESRs will be hosted. The Athena SWAN Charter was introduced in 2005 to advance the representation of women in science, engineering and technology. The University published its Research Culture Action Plan in 2021 – this demonstrates the universities commitment to promoting a more supportive, inclusive, and collaborative research culture. QUB also signed up to Advance HE’s Race Equality Charter (REC) in 2020, which seeks to identify and critically reflect on institutional and cultural barriers standing in the way of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic staff and students.

Greene Enterprise (Spain) is an advanced technology company specialised in thermochemical conversion of complex waste streams into circular fuels and chemical feedstocks. Founded to accelerate the deployment of industrial-scale pyrolysis, gasification and catalytic upgrading systems, the company operates an integrated R&D, engineering and pilot-scale platform that supports the transition toward low-carbon and resource-efficient processes in Europe. Greene Enterprise leads multiple national and European innovation projects and collaborates with industrial offtakers across the petrochemical, energy and materials sectors.

Greene Enterprise participates in CIRCULAR FUELS through its Advanced Thermochemical Conversion, which develops proprietary technologies for waste-to-syngas, waste-to-hydrogen and pyrolysis-oil upgrading. The company operates pilot units for pyrolysis, gasification, and hydrogen generation, complemented by full analytical capabilities (GC-FID/TCD, ICP-OES, BET, TGA, elemental analysis) and process-engineering tools for scale-up with the available pilots plants. These facilities and engineering teams are fully available to support CIRCULAR FUELS.

Greene Enterprise will contribute to the project by providing industrial know-how, process integration expertise and training in thermochemical processing of waste-derived intermediates, syngas conditioning, catalytic upgrading and hydrogen-compatible circular-fuel pathways. The company will host secondments, participate in knowledge-exchange activities, and support the translation of laboratory insights into scalable technological solutions aligned with EU circular-economy and decarbonisation objectives.

Vortico is a software engineering and artificial intelligence boutique specializing in the development of high-performance, cloud-native architectures and machine learning solutions. Based in Málaga, Spain, the company is built on a foundation of expert knowledge in distributed systems, API design, and scalable data processing. Vortico is known for its commitment to open-source software, having developed frameworks like Flama to streamline the deployment of high-speed machine learning models, and the Vortico Energy Platform, an AI-powered solution for predictive analytics and strategy optimization in complex energy markets, such as spanish electricity market. Besides, Vortico is fully committed to fundamental research in the fields of artificial intelligence, complex multi-scale systems, and other fundamental scientific areas.

Within the CIRCULAR FUELS framework, Vortico provides the core digital and computational expertise required to bridge experimental research with modern technology. The company applies advanced software engineering principles and data-driven methodologies to support the project’s technical objectives. By leveraging artificial intelligence and sophisticated data processing, Vortico helps transform complex information into actionable insights, enhancing the overall efficiency and scalability of the technologies being developed.

Vortico’s team leads the integration of digital tools and intelligent systems that streamline collaboration across the consortium. Their focus remains on ensuring technological robustness and high software quality standards, facilitating the transition from laboratory concepts to optimized digital environments. Through the application of modern software patterns and predictive modeling, Vortico strengthens the project’s ability to innovate within the circular economy.

GreenX Technology (United Kingdom) is an innovation-driven company specialising in advanced catalytic and process-engineering solutions for sustainable chemical and energy applications. With strong R&D capabilities, GreenX develops next-generation catalysts and integrated process concepts that enhance efficiency, durability and environmental performance across industrial conversion pathways.

Our core expertise includes catalyst development and optimisation for key synthesis reactions, enabling the conversion of waste-derived carbon and renewable hydrogen into low-emission products such as fuels and chemicals. In parallel, the company provides tailored process design optimisation services to support industrial decarbonisation and resource efficiency.

Within CIRCULAR FUELS, GreenX will contribute to catalyst optimisation, as well as process modelling and optimisation. GreenX will also support market analysis, commercialisation strategies, and catalyst performance analysis in the energy sector. The company is based at the Surrey Research Park and is supported by team members such as Prof. Sai Gu, who has an extensive international network across Asia, Africa, and Europe, covering biomass resources, processing, and product upgrading, together with substantial experience and strong industry connections.